


Ghosts of the past.

by Writter_of_time



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:40:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writter_of_time/pseuds/Writter_of_time
Summary: Arthur is long dead but he never leaves John's thoughts.A series of encounters John has with Arthur's ghost at key points in the epilogue of RDR2 and RDR.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Ghosts of the past.

John had just completed his first bounty with Sadie so he heads to the saloon in Blackwater to get a few drinks to celebrate. A few hours later he's given the boot from the saloon so stumbles off to try and find a room. He ends up somehow stumbling out of the town. In his drunken state he thinks about how all the problems started in this damm town. 

That stupid ferry robbery that was always a dumb idea, but of course they had all listened to Dutch religiously like he was some god. What fools they were and where did Dutch get the idea from? MIcah. That damm rat who caused all the destruction in the gang. He was sorry he hadn't found him and put a bullet in him yet.

He grunts and trips over something and ends up falling flat on his face. He looks round and says a deer staring at him and he grumbles.

"Get out of it you stupid deer."

Then suddenly there's a blinding flash of light and the deer has gone then a voice rings out in an amused tone.

"Falling around drunk in the dirt still Marston?"

John grabs his gun and spins round and stops seeing who it was. Arthur was standing there with an amused smirk. But it wasn't the Arthur hed last seen on that mountain. It was he Arthur he'd known. Strong and broad. Not pale and thin and there was no horrid cough. Arthur nods at his gun.

"You can draw on me if you like Marston but you can't kill a dead man trust me I've tried."

John frowns and holsters his weapon.

"So you are dead then?"

Arthur nods.

"Sure am."

"How come you here then and not up there playing a harp or being dammed for all eternity in hell?"

Arthur shrugs.

"Probably because you're making such a damm mess of things down here I had to come down and put some sense into you you fool."

John sighs and shakes his head.

"I must've drunk way to much in that damm saloon."

"Yeah probably but then before you sober up let me ask you. What the hell you doin Marston? I got you outta there alive and you still can't keep things together still robbing and killing and not even doing it clean."

John glares.

"Hey easy for you to say now you're dead....not much a wanted man can do for work."

"Perhaps but doesn't help when the wanted man goes and shoots some fool. Then gets a job then goes and shoots up a ranch."

"Hey I didn't have much choice there, they attacked the ranch and I got asked to help them what was I supposed to do?"

Arthur shrugs again.

"I dunno do I....I don't have all the plans.....I ain't Dutch."

John rolls his eyes.

"Yah well dutchs plans were nothing great either. If you were Dutch you'd probably tell me I need money, faith and to go to Tahiti"

"True and he'd have told you to side with some little fat weasel with a stupid white hat....you seem to be following him in that aspect of the plans never going right. Going out bounty hunting with Sadie instead of getting your family back."

"Hey I need money don't I."

"I gave you a whole pouch full of money god dammit Marston....,or Milton."

Arthur smirks an amused look which makes John roll his eyes.

"Hey I needed a cover name didn't I and that wasn't that much money in there a horse cost me half of it."

"And you couldn't think of one better than a dead high ranking member of the pinkertins? Look Marston you still got a chance to fix things. Do it before it's to late before you get in so deep you can't get out. Forget the old life. Forget everything Dutch told us. Embrace that new world, forget Dutch, forget Hosea, forget bill....forget Micah."

John shakes his head.

"I can forget them Arthur but if I find Micah I'm gonna end him for everything he did."

"Forget that fool. He ain't worth the trouble....hell he ain't even worth the bullet."

John rolls his eyes.

"You just saying that because you couldn't kill him on that hill?"

"Hey I was half dead and still landed some good punches and would of got to my gun if Dutch hadn't stepped in."

John sighs.

"Yeah I heard about that....all we gave Dutch and he sided with Micah."

"Yeah well problem is John that by the end everyone who would've rallied against Micah was gone. Hosea, Lenny, Molly, Susan, Kieran, uncle, Pearson and Sadie they weren't there to back us up. But it's done now John. I'm dead you're not. So fix it. Nget your family back, put away your guns just don't look back."

John sighs and nods.

"I can't forget what Micah did to you Arthur."

"Micah didn't kill me John. I was dying anyway. My death was my fault not Micah's. The man deserves a bullet but it doesn't need to be you pulling the trigger. Remember your family. They're more important than him."

"I will.....I miss you Arthur. It'd be a lot easier to do this if you were here."

Arthur smirks.

"Ahhh you'd still screw it up with me here. Take care John....now if you'll excuse I gotta get back to wherever I am in the afterlife.....gotta a game of dominoes I gotta finish with Hosea then that fool Sean challenged me to a drinking competition."

John smirks.

"Give them my best. They all good up there?"

"Will do and yeah they are. Hosea was pissed at Dutch when I got up there never seen the man curse so much and Sean gave me a good few days of ideas on what he'd do to Micah if he could get his hands on him Lenny told me he'd have stood with us at the end and Kieran damm o'driscol didn't say much just stammered a bit and went to look at some horse anyway time to go ...and hey don't you go lose my hat and don't make me come down here again I forgot how much of a shit hole this place is."

Arthur nods then disappears. John sighs and rubs his face. That was certainly an interesting hallucination. But he figures it was right. He groans and makes his way back to town hopefully the saloon still had a room to rent out....or that the blackjack table was still open.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for RDR so hope people like it. The idea is to have Arthur appear and give advice and criticism. My ideas are just before he goes to kill Micah, the very beginning of red dead 1, just after Dutch dies and just before John dies. But if anyone has any other suggestions feel free to request.


End file.
